A look back at a new beginning in Montco

Wednesday

Montgomery County Republicans likely want to wake up on Jan. 1 hoping to find out 2011 never happened.

It did.

Democrats broke the GOP’s 150-year stranglehold on county government.

Then, earlier this month, photos of a handcuffed county commissioners Chairman James R. Matthews were splashed on the front page of newspapers, in television newscasts and on websites when the top Republican elected county official was arrested on charges of lying to a county grand jury investigating political corruption.

“I don’t like to talk about the other party,” said county Democratic Chairman Marcel L. Groen. “My focus is on us.”

Democratic commissioners-elect Josh Shapiro, a state lawmaker from Abington, and Whitemarsh Supervisor Leslie Richards headed a county ticket that not only won the two majority seats on the board of commissioners, but won five county row offices and swept the two judicial seats that were available in this year’s elections.

One of the toughest decisions by the party was to jettison Democratic Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel III, a former state representative, congressman and county commissioner to whom the party turned just four years ago in an effort to take control of the board of commissioners, Groen said.

Instead of backing Hoeffel’s re-election bid, Groen and other party leaders sought “fresh young faces” to carry the party toward its 20-year-old goal to win control of the county government.

Hoeffel, who formed an unprecedented alliance four years ago with the Republican Matthews to give Democrats more of a voice than they had ever previously had in county government, became mired in a county government that often seemed more interested in nasty verbal battles with one another than in governing.

Hoeffel opted not to seek re-election, paving the way for the party to unite behind Shapiro and Richards.

“I have great respect and admiration for Joe Hoeffel and he will always have a place as a statesman, a leader in the party,” said Groen.

Pitted against Republican incumbent Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr., the top votegetter in the commissioners’ election four years ago, and Lower Merion Commissioner Jenny Brown for the three commissioner seats, Shapiro and Richards emerged victorious. So did Castor. What surprised many was not that the Democrats had won the majority seats, but the fact that Richards pulled in more votes than Castor, whose own party remains in disarray after long years of infighting.

“This (victory) shows we have truly arrived,” said Groen, who many scoffed at 20 years ago when he took over a party that barely appeared on the political radar and set the capture of county government as its goal.

“But getting elected is only a small part,” said Groen. “Now we have to govern, and good government leads to more victories.”

“I truly believe that, with this new administration, they will govern with the people’s interest in mind and be inclusive, bringing the third commissioner into the decision-making process if he so chooses,” said Groen. “You will see a common-sense approach directed at running a more efficient, effective government within today’s fiscal constraints while providing the public with the services they need and want.”

As for the party itself, Groen said it is his job to make sure party members don’t become complacent simply because Democrats are in control of the county government.

Groen said he hopes to use the energy generated by this year’s Democratic victories to try and win more state House and state Senate seats next year, “although that will be tough because of the redistricting.” He said he’s looking to 2013, when he would like to add more elected Democrats in municipal governments and on school boards.

“There is a lot of hard work still to be done,” said Groen.

On the Republican side, one of the battles county GOP Chairman Robert J. Kerns faces is coming from within. Some dissidents blame Kerns for the election losses and the party’s dwindling war chest. The dissidents are surveying the party’s approximately 800 committee members to determine if there is support to dump Kerns before going into next year’s presidential election season.

Kerns brushed aside the dissidents’ allegations, claiming they are simply unhappy that a candidate they supported didn’t win one of the party’s two commissioner endorsements.

One thing that Kerns cannot be blamed for, if there is blame to be spread, is Matthews.

It was the county GOP committee members who paired political foes Castor, the former district attorney, and Matthews, the incumbent, as running mates four years ago in an unsuccessful attempt to mend their fractured party.

Even before the new administration started in 2008, Matthews turned to Hoeffel to share control of the county government, making Castor the odd man out. The party’s leadership, unable to convince Matthews to back out of that bipartisan relationship, formally censured Matthews.

Then Matthews came to the attention of the criminal justice system.

Receiving complaints about alleged political corruption in county government, Republican District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman turned the complaints over to a county grand jury for investigation.

The grand jury spent 18 months looking into the complaints, which included: possible Sunshine Law violations by Matthews and Hoeffel for discussing county business at private breakfast meetings they held with senior aides; potential conflicts of interest and other alleged improprieties, including possible “pay to play’’ issues involving the county’s award of professional service contracts and Matthews’ alleged use of campaign funds for personal expenses.

While the grand jury found questionable behavior in all these areas, it decided that none rose to a criminal violation.

However, the grand jury did recommend Matthews’s arrest for lying to them concerning his personal and business relationships with a company that was awarded a contract to provide the county with title insurance services. Ferman’s office followed through, announcing Matthews’ arrest Dec. 7 on perjury and false swearing charges.

Matthews, whose 12 years of service as a county commissioner will end Jan. 3 when a new administration is sworn in, is waiting for his preliminary hearing on the charges.

Kerns blamed the GOP’s loss of control of the county government, in part, on Matthews. He said some Republicans became discouraged after working so hard for the victories of Matthews and Castor four years ago, only to see Matthews share that control with Hoeffel.

Still, he said, it wasn’t a clean sweep by the Democrats.

Republicans won four of the nine row offices, even defeating an incumbent Democrat for the important post of controller, who serves as the county’s fiscal watchdog and sits on the county salary board. In addition, the GOP took back control in four municipalities — including three in the more heavily Democratic areas east of Route 202.

“But I would rather not look back at the past,” said Kerns. “I think that, with a united party, we will be back next year. I feel good about next year’s elections for state House, state Senate, Congress and the presidency. We have good incumbents and will have good candidates to take on the Democratic incumbents. I am just feeling very positive about next year.”

Margaret Gibbons: 610-279-6153; mgibbons@phillyBurbs.com;

Twitter, @peggibbons

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